Coming Soon – Google Mars for Google Earth in 3D

March 13, 2006

Google just last night released a Maps version of Google Mars. You can choose between Elevation, Visible, and Infared versions of the map which shows high resolution photos of the surface of Mars. And, if you click on the links at the top you will get layers of waypoints showing places of interest on Mars. Clicking on the waypoints gives you more details.
What some of you may not know is that the Google Earth client in an earlier life (before Google bought Keyhole), used to have a Mars database you could browse. According to the new FAQ for the Google Mars map:

4. Can I see the Mars data using the Google Earth client?

Not yet, but we’re working on it. To whet your appetite, you can check out this 3-D fly-through movie of Valles Marineris made using this data.

In fact, there is already a Mars forum at the Google Earth Community which comes from the old Keyhole version of the Mars database. I suspect the new version will have even better data. Given they are mentioning the Valles Marineris movie, we have to assume the database will have a 3D terrain layer and we’ll be able to fly through the canyon ourselves!
Oh yeah, and don’t forget to check out Google Moon (and make sure you zoom all the way in).

About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

This is where i have been loning for. Mars is the second most interesting planet in our solar system (second to earth). It has such beautifull geolical features which are nice to watch in 3d with google “mars”. For the guy who said the pluto thing…. pluto is not a planet.

Cant wait for this. google earth made the whole planet closer, now they’re aiming to bring the whole solar system closer!
i just hope you use the ‘actual’ cydonia shots. not the ones that have been tampered with. those pyramids creap me out every time i see them

The Google community is doing really great things.
I think NASA will be jealous about Google, since they had spent millions of dollars to study mars, and now we all can roam mars, free of charge.
We can also meet “aliens” which NASA always tries to keep secret and many many such things…
Come on ppl, I m just joking… 😉

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